'We Were Going To Do It Four Days Ago But Weather Was Not Perfect': Trump on Venezuela Strikes

Palm Beach County, US: US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Saturday that the United States had planned to conduct the military operations in Venezuela four days ago but had to delay it due to the weather conditions.

"We were going to do it four days ago but the weather was not perfect. The weather has to be perfect... It was amazing. I'll tell you- it was highly guarded, like a fortress actually. We had nobody killed, we lost no aircraft," Trump said in his first remarks after the United States conducted strikes into Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

"We had to do it. It is a war. We are losing three hundred thousand people a year. We don't lose that much in a war," he told Fox News.

Trump said the US action, "sends a signal we're not going to be pushed around as a country anymore."

He lauded the professionalism behind the action.

"It was amazing to see the professionalism -- the quality of leadership...To have a few injuries but no deaths on our side is really amazing," Trump told Fox News.

"We were surrounded by lots of people, including Generals and they knew everything that was happening. It was extremely complex- the whole manoeuvre-- the landing, number of aircraft, helicopters, different kinds of fighter jets. They just broke in, and into places which were not really able to broke into," he added.

The United States carried out strikes on Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown out of the country.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi on Saturday announced that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism and would face US justice.

"Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," she said in a post on X.

"On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international Narco- traffickers," she added.

The "capture of Maduro" comes amid an increase in tensions between the United States and Venezuela.